U.s. Now Exempt From Major Wins

MICHAEL MAYO On Golf

August 14, 1994|MICHAEL MAYO

TULSA, Okla. — With the first foreign sweep of majors looming, Raymond Floyd hates to say "I told you so."But he told us so, 11 years ago. He attributes the decline and fall of American golfers to the all-exempt tour, which started in 1983.

Before 1983, all players who missed the cut in PGA Tour events had to qualify for the next one the Monday before the tournament. Now, players who finish in the top 125 on the money list are exempt for all events the following year.

"Everything I said at that time has happened," Floyd said this week. "Instead of being capitalistic, it's been semi-socialistic. Once a fellow got in here, if he had any ability, he could stay for a lifetime. And when you have players that make a lot of money and don't have to win to do that, that causes fellows that don't know how to win.

"We have fellows out here that can make a million dollars without winning. That's more of a socialist type event or system. When only 60 places were exempt, guys worked.

"You could come out here today on this tour and finish second in one tournament and you're exempt the next year. I don't think that's right. I think those numbers have to be dealt with. It's hurting the quality of the play at times.

"The world-class player, the player that can come and win major championships and be another Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer, the Americans aren't doing that because of the system. Part of it is not knowing how to win, and not knowing the toughness of the situation [in majors) by having carte blanche playing golf."

"But other than that," Floyd said, "I have no opinion."

Please release them

Speaking of flaws in the PGA Tour system, the current rules are inhibiting foreign stars who want to play the tour. That's precisely what the tour grunts, who stand to lose some easy paychecks, want, but it hurts sponsors and fans.

It's not the 15-event minimum that foreign players have a problem with, Nick Price says. It's the restrictions on their ability to play elsewhere. When tour members want to compete in events that conflict with PGA Tour events (which are held every week from January-October) they need a "release" from the tour.

Players are given three or four releases a year, more if they play more than 20 events, but that doesn't seem fair to Price, who would like to play more events in South Africa, Asia and Australia.

South African Ernie Els, the U.S. Open winner, is pondering whether to move from the European tour to the PGA Tour next year, but the release rule is the major roadblock.

"I know what I would do, but it's his decision," said Sam Feldman, his manager. "I'd stay in Europe. Because as a major winner, he gets to play 10 tournaments in the U.S. anyway."

The European tour has no release rule and has a 12-event minimum. Without joining the tour, Els can play the three American majors, The Players Championship, the World Series of Golf and five other events where he gets sponsor's exemptions. So, for the chance to play five more events, he'd have to curtail his freedom.

"Basically they're telling us once you've made your decision to play here, you can't go and play in those other places," Price said. "That's very unfair. If you play your 15 tournaments you should be able to go out and do whatever you want. If it was just 15 events and then you're free, they'd have every great player in the world here. It would be great if we could do that. But I'm sure a lot of PGA Tour players don't feel the same way."

Tour, GC of Miami split

By month's end, the PGA Tour will no longer manage - or mismanage - the Golf Club of Miami in North Dade. The Tour and county agreed to sever the 45-year management contract this week, with the tour getting $100,000 annually for 25 years as a settlement.

The marriage, which began in 1989, was doomed once a resort hotel, which the PGA Tour promised when it wooed local politicians, was never built. That ensured lots of red ink.

Although the two main 18-hole courses have been renovated and are in excellent shape, the project was a money-loser, and the tour assumed no risk. As part of the sweetheart deal, the tour got $400,000 a year to manage the course.

The whole thing was a pathetic example of what happens when sharp corporate lawyers negotiate with idealistic local yokels.

The tour made a mint and the taxpayers got soaked.

Although a new clubhouse was built because of the tour's association (they were able to use the Florida sports franchise tax to fund it), a gorgeous executive course has been shut for financial reasons.

After bidding, the county will have a local management company oversee the project. Six are interested.